Method of printing serial numbers



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 K. H. BROWNLEE Filed Jan. 7, 1942 METHOD OF PRINTING SVEVRIAL NUMBERS .mm z m @E .Nmv -Ncv @2.2 -2 5 @H @EE 2 2 1 @z @EEEE UQHEW @@@EHEE 1 v s @@@E EEEEEEEEE EEEVHLEFHLEE-mm l IJ mmmmmmmmmm .23 -Si UU@ l .N32 z llwllll Illllll g .March 14, 1944.

March 14, 1944. K, BROWNLEE 2,343,880

' I METHOD oF PRINTING SERIAL NUMBERS Filed Jan. 7, 1942 :5 sheets-sheet 2 Q Q Q I M 1 0-110-0 1l 1 -01000;

o a a 1 1 v1 J1 1 1 v e 'e 1 11 V E 11 11 11v l1 11 I j V j 2 5 a 1 1 1 F J S 4s S` 10107-2 1 10-107-2 1| [1072 1 1 r y1 I l 10105-1 1!1011111 11H00-1E 0 0 0 10100-0 1 101100 1%0-0 1 March 14, 1944. K. H. BRowNLEE METHOD ,OF `ERINTING SERIAL NUMBERS Filed Jan. '7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 14, 1944 METHOD OF PRINTING SERIAL NUMBERS Kenneth H. Brownlee, Skokie, Ill., assignor to The Meyercord Company, a corporation of Illi-` nois Application January 7, 1942, serial No. 425,884

(ci. 10i-45) 13 Claims.

It is becoming a practice, that is spreading, to print serial numbers en stamps, labels, license tags, etc. When the numerals `are small, this can successfully be done with an ordinary numbering machine. However, when the numerals and the letters, when letters of the alphabet form part of the serial number, are large, the use of a mere numbering machine, even though it be a large one, gives rise to serious difficulties, which militate against the achievement of a perfect product. In cases where an inferior product might be acceptable, the kcost of printing the large characters is very high.

The object of the vpresent invention is to make it possible to apply the numbers, letters or other characters of a series by which a great many different similar pieces are to be distinguished from each other, by ordinary printing processes in a comparatively simple way, so that perfection of product may `loe attained at a reasonable cost.

An example of elements or articles that must be marked as aforesaid is the automobile license that must be displayed upon the vehicle. Such devices are commonly applied in the form of decalcomanias to windshields. If each license number can be applied in the same way as are the various .other ink portions of the film, the Whole will present a much neater appearance than if the numbers or other identifying characters are applied by a numbering machine, even though these characters be small. In the even that the subject is one to take the place of the usual metal license plates carried on the front and 'rear of an automobile, it is essential that the dis'- tinguishing characters be made as large as is usual with respect to the ordinary vmetal plate. In many states the automobile license numbers extend into the millions, and in most of them into the hundreds of thousands. In accordance with my invention, I provide a special printing plate for applying to the otherwise completed product such numerals or distinguishing characters that it is impracticable to apply at the time of printing the subject. This printing plate `is adapted to print individual numerals on a large number -of license tags at a time. The numerals are arranged in rows lof which the first may contain only zeroes, whereas succeeding rows each may contain only a sing-le numeral which may be anything from 1 to 9. These numerals are lso placed that each may be made to register properly with the vspace that vis `to receive that particular numeral on a rectangular .sheet of one containing ten rows of ten tags or labels. It will be seen that if, after the rst printing on any number of sheets by this plate, the relative position of succeeding sheets with respect to the plate be shifted through a distance equal to the spacing between rows of numerals, the row of tags or labels corresponding to that which previously had Vzeroes printed thereon will now receive the imprint of the numeral 1 or the numeral 9, depending in which direction therrelative shifting Was done. In order to permit this .relative shifting between the printing plate and a sheet, so that zero or any numeral from .1 to 9 may be printed on all of the tags or labels of any given row, it is necessary that the printing plate be double so as', in effect, to comprise two like printing plates arranged side by side; the spacing between the last row of characters on one plate and the rst row on the next plate being equal to the spacing of the rows in the body of each plate or section. Then, When a sheet is shifted crosswise of the rows, so as to bring the trailing row .of tags or labels into registration with the second rowyof characters on one section of the printing plate, the advance row of tags or labels registers with the first row of characters on the second section. Similarly, b-y shifting the sheet positions a step at a time, the last of the sheets to be printed may lie wholly above the second section of the printing plate. n

The adjustments just described permit the printing of the 'desired individual characters in the units, tens, and hundreds positions of each tag or label, depending upon which of these positions has been selected. In order to make this selectionit is necessary to provide for a relative shifting of the sheets and the printing plate at right angles to what I have termed the rows of numerals or characters; this shifting being through steps or distances corresponding to the spacing of theynumerals or other characters in vthe finished tag or label. B y :providing the double printing plate and then effecting the relative shifting between sheet and plate in two directions at right angles to each lotherythe'saine plate serves to print all of the numerals (in the example given) fromvilCO to 9.99, which may be needed, regardless of how highvthe numbers run above the thousand mark, as longl as each of the spaces for units, tens and hundreds must be 'tags or labels; a convenient size of sheet being 55 Since only n'in'e -hfundred ninety-nine dil'ferent combinations Iof numerals are required for the -st thI'e digits of Yall '-ilulrbes up to nine hlinisa plan view of va fragment of the printing dred ninety-nine thousand, only ten diierent printing plates are needed to print, in sheets of one hundred elements or units each, all of the tags or labels which must bear numbers between one thousand and one million. In other words,the first three digits of these large numbers can be printed as a part of the subject at a cost not much greater thanthat of printing th'e subject. without *anyv ofthe identifying characters.

When the entire lot of sheets has been printed, and the sheets are in stackV formation in the order in which they left the press during their last passage through the same, the tags or labels are so disposed that upon cutting the stack into many little stacks in whichaeach pieceirepreninety-nine thousand, nine hundred sand ninetysents only a single tag orV label, each little stack 4for a full understanding of myinvention and Y of its objects and advantages, reference may be had tothe following detailed' description taken in connectionV with Vthe accompanying drawings, wherein: f

Figure 1 is a planview of a sheet of tags or labels ready toV receive the ylast three digits of largejserial numbers or the like; Fig. 2 is a plan View showing diagrammatically the sheet of Fig.

`1in position to be "fed into ythe press in accordance withl the present invention; Fig. 3 is a view similar to.l1"'ig .1,..illustrating the sheet after it has been passed Aonce through the press; Fig. 4

plate, on a much larger scale than Fig. 2, but

showing itin the same relation" tothe sheet in Fig. 3 as is the case in Fig. 2; Fig'.V 5is a view showing fragments of the sheet and of the printing plate after the sheet has been shiftedone stepalong the printing yplate to cause the numeral. l instead of z'ero,'as in Fig..3, to be printed Jon thelower rowof tags or labels; Fig. 6 is a View showing fragments of the Yprinting plate and ofthe sheet in the same relative positions as in Figs. 3 and 4 except that they havebeen displaced relatively toV each other to cause the printing to be done in the tens spaces of the y numbers; Fig'. 'lis a view similar to Fig. 6. showing a further shifting inthe direction yto cause the printing to `be done inthe units spaces of 'theV tags or labels; Figs. V8 and I9V are perspective views of la small Vstack 'oflvc'xorrlpletelyv numbered tags or labels, a part Vof the -entire stock except the lowermost tag or vlabel being broken ,away

' in- Fig. 9; and Fig. 10 is'an end view'of a fragment of a rotary printing press in which my improved method may be carried out.

Y In the drawings I have illustrated myinvenbe used laloneoriti-conjunction with numerals.,`

nine; the first three. digits of these numbers being preferably part of the original printing, and there being blank spaces left for the reception of the llastthree digits of each number. The flrst three digits on these one hundred tag Ior label elements are therefore the yconsecutive numbers from one hundred to one hundred ninety-nine, inclusive. In Fig. `2 this sheet is shown as resting upon the feed table 3 of a printing press, adjacent to which is the printing cylinder having thereon a printing plate 5; the printing plate being shown ina ilattened condition in Fig. 2. This printing plate is at least twice as wide as that dimension of the sheet transversely of the rows of tags or labels or in the .directionof what I have termed the columns of labels, and it contains rows of numerals from zero to nine having the same spacings as do the rows of tags or labels, and the numerals in eachrowhavlng the same spacings las those ofthe columns of tags or labels. All of the numerals in each row are alike, so that Ythe numerals in each column run consecutively from zero to nine. The two halves of the printing plate are just alike, the numerals in each half being so disposed that there may be caused to register with the vcor-reslzvonding digit spaces in all of the one hundred' elements of a sheet when the plate is brought in printing relation to the sheet.; The two sections of the printing field are so related that the last row of numerals of one section is spaced apart from the first row of nu- Irrrerals in the second section exactly the same distance as that which separates the rows of figures in each of the two sections. Consequently, a sheet may cooperate with any ten consecutive rows of numerals on the printing plate, whether such rows lie entirely in one `section or whether one or more rows lie in one section and the remainder in the other section.

It wi-ll be noted that when a sheet has been moved step by 'step until it is clear of fthe lower half of thel printing plate and lies wholly above lltheupper half, it will be printed in exactly the sam'e form as though it were engaged solely with the'liower half of tliae Plate. Thus, the cycle of changes, through'shiilting lengthwise of the columns ofrnumerals, is completed before the uppermost.Y row of numerals in Fig. 2 is, reached. Therefore, this uppermost, row, consisting of ..nines, or the lowermost row, consisting of zeros.

n may be omitted, if desired.' In other words, each :of the characters willl'have beenv printed onthe vlowermostrow of labels of -the required number v.of sheets at the time when a sheet has been .printed while its lower row of labeIsengages the row of ninjes in the lower half of the printing plate;l and afurther upward shift Ito bring the Y' I upperrow of lzeros into registration' with a lowermost-row-of labels o n a sheet would be simply Y Starting ancther'cyclc. u

Obviously, the lowermost .raw ofzeros. cfzuld. b e .omitted..,i11stead cf. the upper ases-,seo

row of nines, thus leaving the necessary nineteen rows of printing characters.

In Fig. 2 the sheet is so. positioned thatwhen itis fed into engagement with the printing roller, the printing is done entirely by the lower half of the printing plate. By shifting the sheet bodily until its upper edge reaches one Aafter the other of the dotted lines marked A, the printing area is progressively shifted across the plate until the printing is all done by the upper half cr section. With lthis arrangement, nothing but` zeroes `are printed in the lowermost row of the sheet when the sheet is in the position shown in Fig. 2, upon feedingthe sheet through the press. Upon shifting the sheet upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2, through a single step, it will be seen rthat nothing but ones will be printed on the lower row of tags orlabels. Also, whereas nothing but nines will be printed on the upper row of tags or labelsin the position occupied by the sheet in Fig. 2, zeroes will be printed in this upper row when lthe sheet isl Shi-ilted upwardly one step. By this means any numeral, from Zero to nine, may be printed in ant7 oi' the rows of tags or labels, each column of numerals thus printed consisting of numerals in consecutive order. Any suitable means may be provided to enable the operato-r accurately to adjust a sheet to any one ,of the 'several positions along the printing plate. In the larrangement shown, there is a long slide S mounted on the table 3 parallel with the axis of the printing roller. A screw fastening l extends dow-n through a longitudinal slot 8 and into rthe table. On the inner end of the slide is a toe 9 against which the edge of a sheet may bear. graduations may be placed beside the slide to deter-mine the position to which the t'oe should be brought to achieve the desired 4location for a sheet to be printed. All that need be done to adjust the slide is to loosen the screw, move the slide lengthwise until the toe` registers with the proper graduation, and then tighten the screw.

In the case of a rotary printing machine of the general type illustrated, the adjustment in the direction of the lengths of the rows oi elements and rows of numerals may conveniently be eiected by shifting the printing plate relatively to the cylinder on which it is mounted, by shifting that cylinder relatively to the driving gear, or by adjusting stops against which the advance edges of the sheets on the feed table bear when the sheets are in position to be engaged by the usual grippers and be automatically fed between the printing rollers. By reference to Fig. `10 of the drawings, it will be seen that the printing plate 5 extends partway around the roller 4, each end being connected to a holding and adjusting device I0 as is customary in machines of this kind. By designing these adjusting devices so as to make it possible to shift the printing plate around the roller through a distance equal to the span of the three digit spaces in which numerals are to be printed on each tag or label, adjustment can quickly be made to print in any one of these three spaces. The second method of adjustment is that of shifting the. roller or cylinder 4 bodily with respect to-the gear wheel lll that meshes with a similar gear wheel I2' on the feed cylinder llt. This is conveniently done by making the usual elongated slots I5 sufhciently long to permit the necessary angular adjustments betweenA the cylinders 4' and I4. In the arrangement shown, thescrews` I6 that pass through the slots l5 and into theendsL of; the cylinder 4* are shown mid- Suitable z way between the ends of' the slots. This. may represent the relative angular positions. when'a. machine is adjusted to print'` inthe hundreds spaces in the endmost row oi tags: or labels; the slots being long enough to permit angular shifting of the cylinder 4 in either direction for the purpose of printing in the tens. or units. spaces. Obviously, this same adjustment in either direc.- tionA may be provided by the devices ill thatzshitt thek prin-ting platearelatively to the cylinder or roller t. The sheets; to be printed are adapted to be so positioned thattheir' advance edges engage with ngers Il supported by one or more carriers I8 mounted on a shaft, t9` arranged above the feed table parallel with the axes ot the printing rollers. When a sheet is. being placed on the ieed table, these ngers;k are in the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 101; but, when the grippers that drag the sheet from the table come into play, the fingers are swung up: out of the way, as shown'v in full lines in Fig. l0, In other words, Fig. l0 illustrates the conditionv in which the grippers 2232 on the feed roller or cylinder Eli have grasped the advance marginal portion of a sheet to be printed' and.` have begun towithdraw the sheet from theu feed table. It will be seen that by adjusting the carrier or carriers t8 angularly ofrthe shaft iii, the normal working positions` of the fingersi I'l', in which they serve asr stops for the advanced edgeof a sheet, may be shifted! in the direction of the. travel'v of the sheet to provide the same adjustment as may be secured by shifting the printing. plate relatively tothe sheet in either off the two ways previously described,

ln Fig. 3 the sheet is shown as having received one printing, zeros having been printed in the hundreds spaces of the Vlowermost row oi` tags or labels, ones in the next row, and' soon, to nines in the upper row. In Fig. 6 there is shown a fragment of the printing plate and a fragment of' the same sheetV as that appearing in Fig. 3, during a second printing; the printing plate having been shifted toward the 'left through a distance equal to the spacing between consecutive digit positions. The sheet nowhas had added thereto two zeroes on each of the tags or labels in the lowermost row, and the numerals in all of theother hundreds spaces in the sheet have been duplicated in the corresponding tens spaces. Fig. 7i illustrates the condition existing at the time of making 'the third printing, the printing plate having beenv shifted to the left through another step.

When it is desired to print the` numeral 1 in each, of the hundreds spaces in the lowermost row of tags or labels in Fig. 1, the sheet is, so placed on the feed table that the lowermost row of zeroes in Fig, 2 does not print, whereasthe row of zeroes in the upper half of the printing plate is brought intoaction. This is illustrated in Fig. 5; the lowermost row of tags or labels on the sheet being in line with the row of ones in the lower half vof the printing plate.

If the thousand sheets for any one hundred thousand consecutively-numbered sheets are placed one on top of another, after their third printings, corresponding tags or labels' form stacks containing all of the consecutive serial numbers between those of the top and bottom tags or` labels. lf the iirst printings are those illustrated in Fig. 3, it means that the smallest number in each of these little stacks is atvthe bottom and the largest. at. the top. If it beidesired tot have thisv order reversed, so, as to bring the smallest numberA at the top, without re-arranging the sheets or the tags or labels themselves afterthe printing and cutting has Abeen completed, the machine may be so adjusted that nines instead of zeros are rst printed on the lowermost row of tags Vor labels in Fig. 1. Inother words, in that case the printing would start with a sheet registering with the upper half of the printing plate in Fig. v2, instead of the lower half, and the shifting through successive steps would be in the downward direction, as viewed in. Fig. 2, instead ofupwardly. Then, after the third printing of the sheets necessary to make up one hundred thousand, consecutively numbered, the largest number in each little stack of individual tags or labels is at the bottom, and the smallest number at the top, as shown in Figs. 9 and 8, respectively. Y i

It will thus be seen that in the practice of my invention, all ofthe numerals or other characters of a group such as constitutes one of a long series of diiferent markings in theform of consecutive numbers or letters or combinations of type, inV situations where appearance is at least Y as important as the function to be served by the markings.

While I have illustrated and described my invention in connection with the marking of only a single type of element in the formV of a tag, label or plate, I do not desire tobe limitedto this particular embodiment or field of use; but intend to cover all means and methods coming within Vthe definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. Furthermore, my method may be employed in-situations where, as distinguished from printing with inks, characters are cut into a sheet or plate by means of dies, or are'embossed in a plate by means of complementary dies between which the sheet to be embossed is placed. Therefore, lwhen I refer to printing, I intend to cover also these other practices and, where I refer to aprinting plate, I intend to include cutting dies or cooperating embossing dies.

I claim:

1. The method of placing on elements such as stamps, labels, and the like unlike groups of identifying characteristics, which consists in f producingfsheets made up of such elements arrangedk in parallel rows so disposed that corresponding elements in the rows -form columns,

' providing a printing plat'having'a field twice asr wide as the length of one'ofsaid columns andY containing individual characters arranged .Y in twice as many rows as there are rows Aofsaid elements' and in as many columns as there are. Acolumns of said elements, kprinting asV many Yumns through a, distance equal to thespacings between said rows; and effecting further printings after relatively Vshifting the sheets and the `plate, between successive printings,'k lengthwise lof the rows through` successive' distances;

corresponding to the spacings required between Yconsecutive characters on an element.

Yand containing individual characters arranged in twice as many rows as there are rows of said elements and in as many columns as there are columns of said elements, printing as many sheets inregistration with one-half of said field as are required to carry as the first characters the characters so printed, effecting further printings after relatively shifting the sheets and the plate, between successive printings, lengthwise of the rows through successive distances corresponding to the spacings required between consecutive characters on an element, and effecting still other printings after relatively shifting the sheets and the plate, lengthwise of the columns through successive distances correspondingto the spacings between rows.

3. The method of numbering elements such as stamps, labels, and the like, which consists in producing sheets made up of such elements arranged in parallel rows so disposed that corresponding elements in the rows form columns, providing a printing plate having a field twice as wide as the length of one of said columns containing individual numerals arranged in twice as many rowsV as there are rows of said elements and in as many columns as there are columns of said elements, printing as many sheets in registration with one-half of said field as are required to carry as the first numerals the numerals so printed, effecting further printings after relatively shifting the sheets and the plate, between successive printings, lengthwise of the rows a distance corresponding tothe spacings required between consecutive numerals on an element,'and effecting still other printings after relatively shifting the sheets and the plate, lengthwise of the columns, through successive distances corresponding to the spacings between rows.

4. A printing machine for serially numbering elements such as stamps, labels, and the like on sheets made up. of such elements arranged in parallel rows so disposed that corresponding elements in the rows form columns, having a printing plate composed of two like sections disposed side by side and of a combined width which is twice the length of one of said columns and contains individual numerals arranged in twice as many rows as there are rows ofsaid elements and in as many columns as there are columns of said elements,YY means to position each sheet so; as to cause it to be fed to theprinting plate in a manner to register its rows of elements with any equal number of consecutive rows of numerals on said printing plate, and means to adjust Veach sheet to cause the columns of printing elements to be shifted -laterally relative to the'gsheet in order to print columns of characters beside other columns previously printed on a sheet.` Y

5. AV printing machine for placing unlike groups of identifying numeralson elements such as stamps, labels, and the like on sheets made up of such elements arranged in parallel rows so disposed that Vcorresponding elements inthe frows form columns, having a :printing plate composed of two like sections disposed side :by side land of a combined width which .is -twice the length of one of said columns and contains individual numerals arranged in twice as many rows as there are rows of said elements .and in as many vcolumns as there are columns of said elements, means to position each sheet so as to .cause it to be fed to rthe printing plate .in a .manner to register its rows vof elements with any equal number of consecutive rows of numerals 'on said printing plate, vand means to effect a relative shifting of the printing plate and the sheets lengthwise ,of said rows through steps yequal to the spacings which the character-s in each group are to have inthe finished product.

6. The method of serially numbering elements .such :as stamps, labels, and the like, which consists in producing sheets made up of .such ele- .ments arranged in parallel rows so disposed that corresponding elements in the rows form columns and eachcontaining allot the characters of its serial number except the last three digits thereof., providing a printing plate having a field containing two like sections and which is twice as wide as the length of one of said columns and contains individual numerals arranged in twice as many rows as there are rows of said elements and in as many columns as there are columns of said elements, and printing each sheet three times with the plate in such a different position for each printing that numerals are printed successively in all three of the blank digit spaces on each element, the printing positions of the individual sheets being adjusted lengthwise ol said columns to cause to be printed in corresponding digit spaces such different numerals as are required to obtain the necessary sequence.

7. The method or placing groups of identifying characters, one at a time in each group, on stamps, labels or the like joined together in a sheet and forming parallel rows across one dimension of the sheet and parallel columns across the other dimension, which consists in producing a printing plate having thereon individual printing characters arranged in rows each containing as many characters as there are stamps or the like in a row of the latter and in columns correspc-ndings to the columns of stamps or the like, printing one or more sheets while in such position relative to the printing plate that a printing character registers with each of corresponding spaces in all of the stamps or the like, and making successive printings on such sheets after shifting them lengthwise of the rows oi printing characters through steps equal in length to the spacings required between consecutive printed characters on the stamps or the like, and some of them lengthwise of the columns to select different groups of rows of printing characters.

3. The method of plas-iner groups of identifying characters, one at a. time in each grou on stamps, labels or like together in a sheet and forming parallel rows across one dimension oi the sheet and parallel columns across the other dimension, which consists in. producing a printing plate having thereon individual printing characters arranged in rows each containing as many characters as there are stamps or the like in a row ci the latter and in columns containing a ater number of characters than there are stamps or the like in a column of the same, printing sheets while any desired group of consecutive rows of printing Vcharacters equal in number to the rows of stamps or the like register with the latter, making further printings on some of -such sheets after shifting them lengthwise of the rows of printing characters through steps equal to the spac- .ings required between consecutive printed -characters, and making further prin-tinge on the remainder of the rst mentioned. sheets after shifting them lengthwise of both the `rows and the columns of printing characters,

9. A printing machine for placinggroups of identifying characters, one at a time in each group, on stamps, labels or the like ljoined together in a sheet and yforming Iparallel rows :across one dimension of the sheet and parallel .columns -across the other dimension, having a printing plate vprovided with individual printing characters arranged in rows each containing as many characters as there are stamps or the like `in a row of the latter and in vcolumnscach containing a greater number of characters than there are stamps or the like in a column vof the latter, a, support 'for sheets to be printed, means to adjust the sheets on the support lengthwise of said columns of characters to select different groups of consecutive rows on the printing plate for printing, and means to adjust the sheets and the plate relatively to each other.

10. A printing machine for placing groups of identifying characters, one at a time in each group, on stamps, labels or the like joined together in a sheet and forming parallel rows across one dimension of the sheet and parallel columns across the other dimension, having a printing plate provided with individual printing characters arranged'in rows each containing as many characters as there are stamps or the like in a row of the latter and in columns containing a greater number of characters than there are stamps o'r the like in a row of the same, and means to bring the aforesaid sheet into printing relation to the said plate with the rows of stamps in registration with any equal number of consecutive rows of characters, and means to effect a shifting of the sheet relative to the plate into any one of a plurality of positions lengthwise of said rows required to bring each of the characters to be printed in its proper place in the corresponding group of identifying characters.

l1. A printing machine for placing a group of identifying characters, one at a time, in each group on stamps, labels or the like joined together in a sheet and forming parallel rows across one dimension of the sheet and parallel columns across the other dimension, having a printing plate in which there are printing characters distributed in uniform rows and columns corresponding to those in which corresponding individual characters are to lie on the printed sheet, together with additional rows of printing characters forming continuations of said columns, a support for sheets to be printed, means to adjust the sheets on the support lengthwise of said columns of characters to select different groups of consecutive rows on the printing plate for printing, and means to adjust the sheets and the plate relatively to each other lengthwise or said rows to cause the printed characters in each group to be located as desired with respect to each other.

l2. The method of placing groups of identifying characters, one at a time in each group, on stamps, labels or the like joined together in a sheet and forming parallel rows across one di- (mension of the sheet and parallel columns-across "the other dimension, which consists in producing a'fprinting plate containing individual printing characters sol distributed that each character in a given eld will register with a character position on one of the stamps, labels or the like in aV given relative position of the sheet and plate and with asecond character position Vwhen the sheet `is shifted slightlyv along said rows, while Yother A number of sheets `so assimultaneously to place ay 'characterY on each stamp or the like in a sheet,'and subsequently making other printings on the sheets V'after they have been shifted lengthwise of said rows through a distance equal to the desired spacing between the characters of each printed group, some of the sheets being shifted lengthwise of said columns, relatively to the plate before the last-mentioned printings are made.

13. A printing machine for placing unlike groups of identifying characters, one at a time, on elements such as stamps, labels, and the like in the form of sheets in which such elements are arranged in parallel rows so disposed that corresponding elements in the rows form columns, having a printing plate provided with individual printing characters arranged in rows each containingV as many characters as there are stamps or the like in a row of the latter and in columns containing a greater number of characters 'than there are stamps or the like inv a. column thereofymeans to position each sheet so as to cause it to be fed to the printing plate in a manner to register its rows of elements with Vany equal number of consecutive'rows of printing characters onl the plate, and means to eiect a relative shifting of the plate and the sheets lengthwiseof said rows through steps equal to the spacings which the characters in each group are to have in the nshed product.

KENNETH H. BROWNLEE. 

